NOVEMBER 20, 2009-UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DATE ON THE

UNCLAS STATE 119800

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL UNSC KPKO BY CT PU SL
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 20, 2009-UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DATE ON THE
REPORT OF PBC ON ITS THIRD SESSION


1. This is an action request. USUN should draw from the
talking points in paragraph 2 below, as appropriate, during
the UN General Assembly debate on the Report of the
Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on its third session. This
debate provides an opportunity for the USG to comment on
PBC's achievements, note that it can achieve more, an look
forward to the upcoming 2010 PBC mandate review.


2. Begin talking points.

The United States welcomes the Report of the
Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) on its third session, and
commends the PBC for its work over the course of the past
year.

We thank Ambassador Munoz for his dedication to the PBC
during his tenure as Chair. We especially appreciate his
efforts to strengthen communication with the General Assembly
and the Security Council, as well as with the Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC),and we are grateful for his wider
efforts in raising awareness of the PBC.

The United States commends the PBC over this past year
for seeking flexible methods of work that can have greater
impact while minimizing the burden on host countries. The
revision of the Peacebuilding Fund's (PBF's) terms of
reference will also bring increased efficiency and
responsiveness.

Mr. Chair, the PBC has a growing track record in
facilitating coordination amongst all stakeholders, and in
mobilizing resources from traditional and non-traditional
donors to support national peacebuilding priorities and
strategies.

In this way, the PBC contributes to the lives of
ordinary citizens of the countries on its agenda. In
Burundi, the PBC added its voice to regional institutions and
others in helping Burundi create the conditions for the
return of rebels from the bush and for a resumption of the
political process. In Sierra Leone, the PBC has helped to
broaden the donor base. In Guinea-Bissau, the PBC supported
the organization of legislative elections, which helped
secure funding that enabled the timely holding of elections.
In the Central African Republic (CAR),the PBC supported the
National Dialogue, and is helping to bring coherence and
coordination to disarmament, demobilization, and
reintegration.

All of these are notable achievements as we approach
the five-year year review of the PBC, and in this regard, we
would like to offer a few remarks.

The PBC brings together all stakeholders to galvanize
and align responses in difficult post-conflict environments.
It can provide a unique forum for mobilizing our best,
collective efforts to support countries emerging from
conflict and help prevent the fragmentation that too often
plagues international efforts. It can send messages about
the need for action as well as about the focus of what our
actions should be in order to lay the necessary foundations
for peace.

Still, the PBC can do more: to react quickly and
flexibly; to add value to countries on its agenda without
adding burdens; to prioritize and to innovate; and to push
all of us to raise the bar in our common efforts. We know
the importance of the agenda: helping governments restart
critical services, generating jobs and reviving economies,
restoring the rule of law, reforming the security sector,
tackling crime and trans-border causes of instability,
putting an end to sexual and gender-based violence. Whether
in the PBC or not, these issues are among the highest on our
agenda at the UN, and we see a pressing need to work together
to address them successfully.

We have heard considerable comment here today about how
to best conduct the PBC review. While peacebuilding is a
complicated enterprise, we believe the review should and can
be straightforward if we remember what is at stake. We
should keep foremost in mind the views and experiences of
post-conflict countries, both on and off the PBC's agenda.
What we do in the PBC ) or in the General Assembly or the
Security Council ) should be sobered by their stories and
guided by a common purpose to help them see peace take root.
We believe the review should be both honest and ambitious,
reflecting on the PBC's results, its challenges, and its
prospects for continuing to make a unique and much needed
contribution.

We look forward to the launch of the five-year review.
Like others, we believe the first step is information
gathering, informal discussion, and consensus-building about
the scope and core elements of the review. We appreciate the
spirit of the informal discussion and analysis that has
already begun and that is reflected in many of the comments
here today. We look forward to working closely with all of
you in the days ahead to complete a review that is ambitious,
evidence-based, and always oriented to the imperative of
helping post-conflict countries establish the foundation for
peace and long-term development.

Thank you.

End points.
CLINTON